A New Chapter in My Life

Nearly four years ago, I accepted an offer to go to work in Kentucky for a friend.  And things were not what I had envisioned.  At his recommendation, I purchased a camper, purchasing it on the Saturday before the Monday that I reported to work.  Several things were strange about this move.  For one, I had been my friend's boss at my last place of employment.  It certainly would be a change to get used to but seemed par for the course for my life at that time.  Also, I had never owned a camper and had never been to the campground at which I would stay.  A new adventure for sure.  The day I arrived in Kentucky, hauling my new place a residence behind me, the snow was falling golf ball size flakes and I should have known at that moment that the Kentucky weather was very different than the Tennessee weather that I had gotten used to.  But the last thing that I anticipated the least was that this unconventional work/live situation would change my life in many ways, in ways that I believe are for the better.

Being 230 miles away from home, after a failed business venture that left me with less in savings than I had at age 11 from working a paper route, missing my oldest son's last two years of high school and my youngest son's entire high school experience, was certainly not ideal.  I could not believe that my life had come to this.Early in my business career, everything seemed to fall into place so easily and I climbed the corporate ladder so quickly.  And then, suddenly I found myself living alone in a camper during the week, making less money than I did in the early 90's, and suffering from a very bruised ego that left me not caring whether or not I would wake up the next morning.

But something happened over the next four years.  I used the camper as my getaway, a place where I went to laugh, and cry, and to heal.  I had gone back to an industry that I had excelled in before, and I found myself winning again at the corporate level.  Being away, I realized how much I missed and needed my family, and especially, how fortunate I was to have a wife that supported me enough to take on all of the burdens of being a "single mom" throughout the week, and then adjusted to being all that and a wife on the weekends (I am convinced that 99% of women could not have made our situation work). 

With my renewed confidence and appreciation for my family , I started to get things in order mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and later physically.  I dove into books and learned so much from wise authors about business, God, and how other great men had lived their lives.  Again, my camper became my haven and I started to not only get back but I felt as though I was growing more and becoming better grounded as a person. 

While I still have a long, long ways to go, I feel like I have been given a gift over the past four years.  While I despised my situation at first, I learned to embrace the camper and my time away as a time to learn and to gain better perspective on life than I ever had in the past.  My goal now is to continue to grow and learn.

But I am now turning the page in the story of my life.  And I am making some big changes.  I am humbled and honored to have been given a new opportunity to work with a great company and great team of people starting in the next few weeks.  I will also be moving.  And within the next year, my wife and I will be "empty-nesters".  Big changes and new chapters in my life indeed!

Yes, I am somewhat anxious.  Yes, I know that it will be difficult at times.  Yes, I know things will not go according to plan and there will be setbacks.  However, I know I am better equipped, more mature, focused, understand life and business and people better than I ever have, and that I am ready to make a difference in this new company and in the lives of those I lead.

I thank God for the gift of the camper and the time away to heal.  And I thank God for this new, exciting chapter in my life.